Guarana and B Vitamins
by Velvet
Summary: Faith gets out of jail and needs a little help revitalising her life.
1. Guarana and B Vitamins: Part 1

DISCLAIMERS: Joss is god. He made the world and everything in it, and thus owns it all. Except the lyrics to "Wind Beneath My Wings" which is copyrighted to Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar. Don't ask.   
SUMMARY: Faith gets out of jail and needs a little help revitalising her life.   
DISTRIBUTION: Knock yourself out. I'm not possessive.   
PLUG, PLUG: And oh so shamelessly... this and more of my fanfic is available at [http://www.almostnowhere.com/velvet][1]   
FEEDBACK: Pretty please, with cherries and everything? [velvetfic@hotmail.com][2]   
  
  


Guarana and B Vitamins   
by Velvet

Time passed. 

Faith didn't know how long she had been standing there, squinting up at the sun. She could feel the warmth seeping through the thick material of her jacket, the heat rising from the bitumen through the soles of her sneakered feet. A soft wind caressed her face and tugged at the dark strands of her hair, bringing with it the smells and sounds of the bustling city. 

It shouldn't have felt different, but it did. The sensations were real and concrete in a world where everything else suddenly stretched into an uncertain future. 

She glanced back at the grey shape of the prison building. Faith felt the brief urge to scream, to shout, to do something memorable to say goodbye to that fucking hole where she had wasted more than a year of her life. But the feeling went as quickly as it came and it was almost like it belonged to someone else. 

Instead, Faith pulled her jacket tighter around herself and pondered what she would do next. It suddenly occurred to her that this - not jail - was her big test. It was easy to think that she was keeping on the straight and narrow inside there. Do what the guards said, keep out of the power struggle between the other prisoners. But out here, she was the only one making the decisions. Judging if what she was doing was good or bad. Right or wrong. 

She didn't know how she was going to make it. 

"Hey psycho case." 

That voice. It was unmistakable, cutting and slightly harsh, a reminder of a time, a place, a girl that she wanted to forget. She turned around to see Cordelia Chase behind the wheel of a black Plymouth, watching her through dark glasses. 

"Cordelia?" Her voice cracked slightly over the other girl's name. She wet her lips before speaking again. "What are you doing here?" 

The actress shrugged. "Angel paid me time-and-a-half to come pick you up." 

"Why?" 

"I'm guessing he couldn't do it himself because he didn't want to spontaneously combust as soon as he stepped into sunlight. And for some reason, Wes still acts funny whenever your name is mentioned. Oh! I think it might have something to do with that night you spent sadistically torturing him." Cordelia reached up to take off her sunglasses, neatly folding them away. But she never took her gaze off the slayer and Faith couldn't help flinching back from the hostility that the other girl radiated. "I guess Angel thought that the black eye you gave me doesn't qualify as grounds for severe mental distress." 

Faith swallowed again, and made herself step closer to the parked car. "If it's any consolation, it healed up real nice." 

Cordelia glared at her. 

Faith looked at the ground, forcing herself to stop fidgeting under the weight of that flinty gaze. Her first act out of jail, and she'd already fucked up, she thought with an inner sigh. Dark eyes lifted again, meeting the other girl's gaze. "Look, C... I'm real sorry about..." 

"Don't!" Cordelia's sharp voice hit her like a slap in the face. 

"Wha..." 

"I might be your ride but I'm not gonna listen to your BS. You're not gonna convince me that you're a different person just like that, and I'm not gonna accept your apology just so you can feel better about yourself. Now get in." 

Faith stared at her incredulously for a moment. "Forget it," she finally muttered, jamming her hands into the pockets of her jacket and starting off down the pavement. "I'll walk." 

"Boy, I see that you've really changed after your time behind bars." Cordelia called out after her. 

Faith turned back. "Why are you doing this? Why are you begging for some deep pain? You know who I am. What I did. What makes you think that I won't gut you, take the wheels and drive to Mexico?" 

Cordelia still pinned her with that unnerving gaze. "I said I didn't believe you had changed. It's up to you to prove that I'm wrong." She sighed, her tone softening. "Get in. You don't know where the new offices are. And Angel said that I get the rest of the day off if I bring you back in one piece." 

The slayer hesitated for a moment more. Cordelia was right. Angel had told her that he had gotten new digs at a place called the Hyperion, but she didn't know in which part of town it was. It would take her a few hours to find out, but she knew that she would have gone there eventually. There was nothing else for her in LA There was nothing else for her in the rest of the world, in fact. 

Her mind flashed briefly to Sunnydale, and a certain blonde-haired green-eyed girl. But she pushed it away into the farthest corner of her mind, not ready to deal with that yet. Not certain if she ever would. 

She forced herself to focus again because right now before her there was an angry-eyed brunette, waiting for her answer. If she didn't go to Angel's now, the only other thing she could do was to punch out some Joe in the street so she'd have some cash and a place to crash. And strangely, she just didn't have the energy to even want to go down that path anymore. 

With a sigh, Faith opened the door and slid into the front seat. Cordelia glanced at her again, before she started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, the sight of the prison fast dissolving behind them into the distance. 

  


+ + + + +

  


Faith was staring at the building that they pulled up at. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she knew that a big-assed fancy hotel wasn't it. "This is your new office?" 

Cordelia shrugged as she turned off the engine. "He likes grand gestures. And making me do the dusting." 

"Faith!" 

The slayer looked up to see Angel coming down the steps of the hotel, carefully keeping out of direct sunlight. She smiled up at him, a genuine smile, albeit a little weary. "Hey." 

"How are you feeling?" The vampire had a studied look of concern on his face. 

Faith shrugged. "Pretty good. At a bit of a loose end when I first got out. But thanks for sending Cordy to come pick me up." 

"Remember, you said double pay." Cordelia called out as she locked the doors to the Plymouth. 

"I thought I said time-and-a-half." 

The actress shrugged again as she walked past them and through the door of the hotel. "It was worth a shot." 

Once the door closed behind her, Angel turned to face the slayer again. "So..." he began, a little awkwardly. "Have you got anything that you want me to bring in?" 

Faith shook her head, smiling a little. "Y'know, it's strange how they don't give out gift bags when you get out from prison." 

"Oh." He nodded, his face carefully blank. "Yeah. Huh." 

The slayer gave him an odd look. "Joke, big guy. Feel free to laugh." She glanced up at the impressive facade of the hotel. "So is this the new place? Thought you would have gone for the office sort of feel, but this is wicked cool." 

Angel crossed his arms, as he looked up at the building as well. "It serves our needs. We've been here for about six months, and we're still chasing out the old ghosts." 

Faith looked at him. 

"Not literally," he reassured her. "Well... not after the first time, anyway." 

They walked up the steps together, and Angel held the door open for her. But Faith paused when she noticed Cordelia talking to a guy that she had never seen before. The actress glanced at her when they appeared and reached out to lay her hand on the guy's arm. "This is Gunn. _My boyfriend_." 

Faith didn't miss the meaningful emphasis on the final two words. Her eyes widened. The dude was a hottie, of that there was no doubt, but he wasn't the type that she expected Queen C would go for. She eyed the former cheerleader thoughtfully. 

But she didn't have time to think about it too long, as Cordelia's boyfriend greeted her with an easy smile. "Hey, hey." He held his hand out to her, and she shook it, a little hesitantly. "Besides the fly tag of being Cordelia's man, I also help Angel out on a case-by-case basis. And I've been looking forward to meeting the infamous slayer. The big man here can't stop talking 'bout you." 

They all looked up at the silent vampire. 

"Ok, that ain't a line that will ever work." Gunn muttered. "But Cordy has been talking about you non-stop for the past week." 

"It was all a variation of the "God, I hope she doesn't kill me" theme, so don't get too excited." Cordelia cut in, as she walked behind the counter in the lobby. 

"I'd listen to your girl." Faith said to Gunn, her voice quiet. 

"It took me six months to figure out how not to listen to her. I ain't gonna be slippin' back now." 

In spite of herself, Faith suddenly laughed. The dude was all right. He reminded her of the guys she used to hang with back in Boston, but she could already see that there was more to him than the pricks she used to know. A maturity, a sense of responsibility, maybe... or maybe he just wasn't looking to get into her pants. Whatever it was, Faith resolved right then not to put any moves on him. Tangling with Queen C just wouldn't be worth it. 

Angel suddenly interrupted them. "Gunn, why don't you take Cordy out to lunch?" His eyes were fixed on the slayer. "I'd like to talk to Faith alone." 

But Gunn shook his head. "No can do. I've promised some of the kids down in my hood that I'll help run supplies for a party they got organised." 

"Yeah, and skinny white beauty queen doesn't blend too well." Cordelia chimed in, as she checked for new email on her iBook. 

Gunn laughed, already halfway out the door. "You know it, sweetheart. See you tonight?" 

"Pick me up at eight." Cordelia called out in reply, not looking up from the computer screen. 

The door swung closed behind him. Angel glanced at Faith, then looked uneasily in Cordelia's direction. "Cordelia, I did give you the rest of the day off," he reminded her. "Isn't there somewhere else you want to be... maybe hit the stores at the Plaza..." 

"Nah... I maxed out my credit card for this month already." She closed the notebook with a snap and gave them a bright smile. "I thought I could hang out with you guys. Make sure that she doesn't try to kill you again." 

"Cordy..." Angel shot another look at the slayer. "That really isn't helping." 

But Faith didn't look like she had even heard the insult. "I don't mind if she stays," she said quietly. 

"Great! I know exactly where we can have lunch." She picked the car keys off the counter top again. "I'll drive." 

  


+ + + + +

  


"Cordelia, this is not a good idea." 

"What? They have a great lunch menu." 

"You know that's not why you came here. Look, it's just too soon. I want to have a chance to talk to her myself, before I bring her here." 

"Hey, if you want to know whether psycho-bitch-killer-from-hell has really reformed, what faster way is there than to get a reading from a big ol' gay karaoke demon?" 

Faith studied the outside of the building that they had pulled up in front of, letting the argument that Angel and Cordelia were having wash over her. It was a simple place, a little dark, with the word _Caritas_ hanging above the door in a bold, pink neon script. The door suddenly opened, and she saw a hunchbacked demon with folds of skin hanging off his face, come shuffling out the door. 

"What the fuck..." Faith began to struggle with the clasp of her seatbelt. "What is this place?!" 

Cordelia glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Down, impulse girl," she admonished, almost indifferently. "Not all demons are evil." 

But Angel was studying the creature thoughtfully. "We might want to keep an eye out for Durthock though. We're gonna have to take him out, if he ever gets his powers back." 

"What is this place?" Faith demanded again. 

Angel looked at her over his shoulder. "Demon karaoke bar." 

Faith blinked. Then hurriedly began to fumble with her seat belt again. "Woah, wait, woah. No way am I gonna sing Barry Manilow in front of a bunch of other people. Not on my first day out from prison, not this early in the day and not without several drinks inside of me." 

"It's not just a karaoke bar. The demon who runs it, he reads souls, sets people on their paths." 

"But he can only do it when they're singing karaoke." Cordelia supplied. 

"Faith." Angel gave her a long look. "It's up to you whether or not you want to do this. It might help." 

Faith clamped down the instinctive urge to bolt, forcing herself to think about what they were suggesting. A demon who could read her soul and tell her what path she was meant to walk. It sounded too simple and too fucking sweet to be real. To know that some higher power had already set your future out for you, and to know what that future was so that you could do everything to make it happen... 

So did she want to know? 

What if all she was ever slated to be was the right-hand girl for some demon who was going to bring about the Apocalypse? What if he told her that she was going to wake up dead in the gutter tomorrow? Did she even want someone telling her what she was going to do, what she was going to become? 

She waited for the familiar rage to boil up at the thought. But she couldn't even summon it, no matter how hard she tried. All she felt was a great weariness; she was tired of not knowing what she was going to do next, of not knowing if she would last through another day. Right now, she wanted nothing more than for someone tell her what was going to happen so that she could sit back and take it like a drunken monkey. 

On the other hand, she was gonna have to sing. 

"You sure this guy is for real?" 

Angel shrugged. "He hasn't been wrong yet. He's come through for us several times. I trust him." 

Cordelia was still watching her through the mirror. "So if you don't go in..." Her voice was almost taunting. Definitely a challenge. 

Faith immediately made up her mind. But she didn't show it, letting a lazy smirk cross her lips as she held the actress' gaze. "Why not? I've got nothing to lose."   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Continued in Part 2**

   [1]: http://www.almostnowhere.com/velvet
   [2]: mailto:velvetfic@hotmail.com



	2. Guarana and B Vitamins: Part 2

**Part 2**

Faith followed the other two into the bar, her eyes everywhere, her slayer senses on full alert. But the reading she kept getting was 'mostly harmless.' Angel had explained that this place was a sanctuary for monsters, and she had been made to hand over her stake when they walked through the weapon detector at the entrance. Though she recognised some of the demon customers by species - even slayed a few of their kind - she could feel that no one was looking for a fight. 

So she relaxed a little, and checked the place out like she would have any other club. She didn't know what she was expecting, having never been inside a demon hangout or a karaoke bar before in her life. The attempt at a vibe was dark and smoky but the blue curtained walls and bright neon fittings just screamed tacky. Not really her type of place. On the other hand, the decor wasn't really the main attraction. 

"Well, if it isn't our favourite vampire with a soul and his seer sent from the Powers That Be." The voice came from behind them and Faith spun around to come face-to-face with a tall, green-skinned, red-horned demon. He looked down at her. "And who is the latest member of the ensemble cast?" 

"This is Faith." The vampire's introduction was stark, direct, no unnecessary small talk. 

The demon continued to watch her like a hawk and Faith began to feel uncomfortable under his piercing gaze. She could sense that there was more to this guy than what he wanted his clothes and club to say about him. 

"So our boy Angel has found himself another Angel, hmm? Nice." The Host tracked his eyes lazily up and down her body. "You can come pose for me in a gold lamé bikini anytime." 

"I'd watch it around her if I was you." Cordelia warned as she took a seat at one of the tables facing the stage. "She's a vampire slayer." 

"Vampire slayer?" He leant in close, to say in a hushed tone. "Not the _rogue_ vampire slayer?" 

Faith gave him a grin that was all teeth and no warmth. "The one and only, baby." 

"Oh, I've always wanted to get a slayer in here! All that teen angst coupled with the burden of superpowers. It'll just be like looking into my own Jackson Pollock. I've even got the perfect song all planned out... ooh, my fillings are shivering just in anticipation. Come, come." He gestured for her to follow him, without waiting to see whether she would. As the Host reached the centre of the stage, the lights suddenly blinked on. He took the microphone from the stand 

"Boy, do we have a treat for the lunchtime crowd today! They call her the Chosen One, she who stands alone against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. But hey, why don't we just call her Faith. And Faith here is about to grace us with a little ditty by the Divine Miss M. Put your hands together and make her feel welcome!" 

The lights brightened as they focused on the slayer standing in the middle of the stage,the Host having shoved a microphone into her hand. There was a hunted expression on her face, and she just had time to find Angel and Cordelia in the audience. She shot them a murderous look. 

Then the screen in front of her flashed the title of the song that she had to sing and her eyes widened in panic. But it was too late to back out, the music started and she was forced to read the words running along the screen before her. 

_ Ohhhh, oh, oh, oh, ohhh._   
_ It must have been cold there in my shadow,_   
_ to never have sunlight on your face._   
_ You were content to let me shine, that's your way._   
_ You always walked a step behind._

_ So I was the one with all the glory,_   
_ while you were the one with all the strain._   
_ A beautiful face without a name for so long._   
_ A beautiful smile to hide the pain._

_ Did you ever know that you're my hero,_   
_ and everything I would like to be?_   
_ I can fly higher than an eagle,_   
_ for you are the wind beneath my wings._

The vampire and the actress were staring at the stage; their mouths hanging open in amazement. Cordelia finally spoke up. "Oh. My. God." 

"I know." Angel responded, his voice equally as stunned. 

"She's really good. Really, really good. Way better than you." 

"I've been practicing." Angel defended himself, sounding a little wounded. "But Faith... Faith is..." 

"Really, really good." 

They returned their attention to the stage as the song drew to a close, the slayer's voice effortlessly hitting the full notes. 

_ Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,_   
_ so high I almost touch the sky._   
_ Thank you, thank you,_   
_ thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings._

The whole club erupted into a long and loud applause. Still on the stage, Faith tried and failed to keep the grin off her lips, her expression a curious mixture of pride and relief. 

The Host waited for the applause to die down slightly before he joined the slayer in the spotlight, taking the microphone from her as he theatrically brushed tears away from his eyes with his other hand. "I'm weeping. I'm weeping! And this from a demon without tear ducts. Whilst I'm backstage having a little chat with the Divine Miss F, Lenny the Draathak will be the brave soul who follows her with a little Unchained Melody about the day he lost his horns. Make him feel at home!" 

As a shaggy little monster shuffled forward, the Host handed him the mike then stepped down into the shadowy wings of the stage. Faith followed, still a little flushed from her performance. But she pushed it aside, wanting to know what the demon read in her soul. "What did you see?" she asked impatiently. 

The Host turned and looked at her. Then he sniggered. 

"What?!" 

The chuckles turned into outright laughter. 

Faith growled and advanced on him, the impatience quickly veering into full-blown anger. "I'm only going to ask this once more. What. Did. You. See?" 

"Oh my..." With a last wheezing laugh, the Host finally composed himself only to flip his hand dismissively at her. "You don't scare me, little missy. You're a good girl now." 

"I'm a good girl?" She never expected to feel such a sense of relief at hearing those words come from a green demon wearing a powder blue suit, a pink shirt and a cravat. "So my future... it's good?" 

"Oh honey, it'll be very good. Almost as good for you as it was for me. But I'm not going to say any more because if I know you - and I just read your soul so I think that I do - you'll baulk at the path that the Powers have set for you." 

"No. No... 's cool." Faith felt a stupid grin appear on her lips. "I'm good with just knowing that they've still got something planned for me." She cleared her throat, a little awkwardly. "Um... thanks..." 

The Host gestured again, waving away her gratitude. "No problemo. Just don't be a stranger now, you hear? In fact, why don't you come back on a weekend? I can see the fliers now... 'Slaying Me Softly Saturday...'" 

Still talking about promoting her as a ticket, he led her through the curtains and over to where the vampire and the actress were sitting. "Everything's A-OK, Angel-cakes. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about." Strangely, it was Cordelia that he was looking at when he spoke. His gaze suddenly snapped up and he walked away, addressing one of his bar attendants. "Elian! Didn't I ask for my sea-breeze an hour ago? When I said that I wanted the grapefruit fresh, I didn't mean that you had to grow it yourself..." 

Once he left, Faith slid into a spare seat at the table. Cordelia and Angel continued to stare at her. Faith stared back at them for a moment, before she growled "You two are so dead." 

They inched back slightly. 

"Joke. Geez, lighten up." 

"Never quite sure when that's an idle threat with you." Cordelia quipped, stirring at her drink. 

A barperson came up to unobtrusively slip three menus onto their table and Faith took one, eager for her first non-prison meal in over a year. Angel stopped her before she could open it, as he leant forward to look at her intently. "What did he tell you?" 

Faith shrugged. "Nothing. He said my future would be good, but he wouldn't tell me anymore because he said I would do stuff to not make it happen. And I think maybe he's right." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and child-like, her expression suddenly completely serious. "I've kinda always fucked it up when I knew I was on a good thing. I... I think just knowing that I've got a reason for being here is all I can handle for now." 

Angel nodded and sat back in his chair, but he continued to watch her. 

Faith stared right back at him, letting him know that all the attention was starting to piss her off. She didn't mind being the centre of things, but she wasn't some fucking lab specimen. The vampire dropped his gaze first, and Faith sighed. He never was much of a challenge. She looked down at the menu in her hand, when Cordelia suddenly spoke up. 

"So where did you learn to sing? I thought all superheroes were lousy singers. Isn't that like, your one fatal flaw?" She turned to Angel. "Were you a better singer when you were evil?" 

"Cordelia..." 

It came out as a long-suffering sigh, and Faith knew that Angel must have said the exact same thing in the exact same way, millions of times before. She smirked a little. In the past, it would have pissed her off, but now... it still kind of pissed her off. But it was also sorta soothing, in a twisted, sick fuck sort of a way. Maybe listening to them bitch to each other was the penance that she had to pay in exchange for not having a longer jail sentence. 

Jail would have been easier.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Continued in Part 3**


	3. Guarana and B Vitamins: Part 3

****

Part 3 

Faith closed her eyes as she rested her head back against the cool metal railing, stretching her legs out beneath her and away from the bench that she was sitting on. Angel was standing not too far away, leaning against a column that was shaded from the late afternoon sun. She could sense his eyes on her. 

They were out in the courtyard of the Hyperion, just the two of them. She had been talking, not because she felt a need to, but because she knew that Angel liked playing Yoda and he wouldn't give up until he thought that he had helped her. It was just easier to pretend that she was sharing and growing. Besides, he needed the practice. 

So what had she been talking about? Oh. 

"It seems like such a fuck-up, y'know? I helped a demon with his plans to destroy Sunnydale, and in return, he destroys the evidence that would have put me in jail for the rest of my life. But after everything he did for me, I still failed him and he ends up dead. Then I finally get my shit together and I make this grand gesture and turn myself in, thinking that I could finally pay for everything I did. Yet I'm walkin' out after a year and I don't even want to be." She let out a long sigh, the sound rattling deep in her throat. "Just another great big fuck-up." 

Angel came to sit beside her. "What was it like in jail? I mean, I know you told me some things when I came to visit you... but overall, what was it like?" 

Faith shrugged. "I had a place to stay, food, clothes. They found out early on that I was pretty strong, but I'd handle any of the girls that came after me. I'd earn the occasional beatings from the guards because of that, but it wasn't too bad. Mostly I just laid low, kept out of the way... I left them alone and they left me alone." 

"So nothing too bad?" 

"Not really." 

"So have you thought that maybe jail wasn't your chance at redemption? You just said that it was too easy. You didn't have much choice, everything you needed was handed to you. Maybe you're meant to be out here again, paying for what you did by making your own choices, by deciding to fight the good fight." 

She nodded. It was good to see that the vamp was finally catching up. She had come to that conclusion on her own about six hours ago. 

He patted her knee awkwardly, as if the whole matter had been resolved. Angel then got up without another word, and disappeared inside the hotel again. 

Faith debated briefly whether or not to follow him, but she chose not to. She sighed again, leaning back as she gazed out to the horizon and the setting sun. It wasn't any wonder that Angel and Buffy were the great love story of all time. They were both the same, both preferring to wrap things up in pretty words and meaningful looks. It wasn't like that for her, she had always been a doer not a talker, and she knew that they wouldn't be able to help her with the way that she was feeling. But this time, she wasn't going to fuck up and freak, she'll just lay low and deal and maybe, maybe one day, she would be worthy of the goodness that the karaoke demon promised her would come. 

  


+ + + + +

  


Cordelia looked up from the accounts she was working on, as the vampire came into the lobby by himself. "So how's the nutjob?" she asked in her usual bright voice. 

"Cordelia..." Angel sighed. "I wish you wouldn't antagonise her so much. It's obvious how much she's changed." 

"She does seem less... Faith. Did the prison people dope her up before she came out or something?" 

"No, they didn't dope..." He checked the crabby tone that his voice was taking on. Cordelia had that effect on him; she could effortlessly get under his skin and break down the cool, brooding exterior that he had spent a hundred years trying to perfect. He strove for that quiet, deadpan voice that he liked to think was his trademark. "I think she's having trouble dealing with getting out of prison and having her life back again. It's why I want you to help her." 

"Because I'm doing such a bang-up job with having a life." There was the barest hint of irony in the actress' voice, and Angel wondered if she was being sarcastic. Cordelia sighed. "What do you want me to do?" 

"She needs someplace to stay... I thought she could move in with you." 

"What?!" The actress' voice rose a few octaves. "Hello! You live in a hotel, remember? A hundred empty rooms. Even if she moves in here, you still have plenty of room to brood!" 

"I don't think she'll be comfortable here. You said it yourself, Cordy... this place gives you bad vibes. She needs something normal and I can't ask Wes to take her in, and Gunn has trouble enough getting by on his own... besides, I thought this is what we do." He slid closer to her, giving her his best soulful look. "Help the helpless?" 

"First of all, it's help the _hope_less..." Cordelia jabbed her finger into his chest, emphasising her argument. "...second of all, those puppy-dog eyes don't work on me mister, and third of all... it's Faith! Crazy, psychotic, murdering bitch from hell! What if she suddenly snaps and kills me in my sleep?" 

"She won't snap. Besides, you have Dennis to protect you." 

"I have Casper, not his uncles! What could Dennis do, give her sodas until her bladder bursts?" 

Angel sighed, tiring of this. "I'll pay you five hundred a month for her rent." 

"And done." Cordelia calmed down instantly. She began to reach for the chequebook, her tone turning business-like as she spoke again. "I want to be paid up-front in cash pro rataed from today, then by cheque on the first of every month. I'll also need some extra now to buy her some bedding, and clothes and maybe another chest of drawers... and, well, you saw how much she ate at lunch today, I'm going to have to stock up the refrigerator... " 

"Fine." Angel turned around and began to walk out in the direction of the courtyard again. "Draw up a list of what you need and how much it'll cost. I'll go tell Faith." 

  


+ + + + +

  


Faith was still sitting where he had left her, her eyes closed as she turned her face up towards the sun. He studied her profile in repose. There was a sense of peace that surrounded her, a peace that he had never seen in her, not even before everything that happened in Sunnydale. She had dealt with whatever demons that had been inside her and was now ready to move on with her life. Much as he had when Whistler had first taken him to LA, to witness a new Slayer being called. 

But Angel could sense that her newfound tranquillity went beyond having finally defeated her demons. She seemed to be almost numb on the outside, and he could see that the numbness was seeping into her soul. He knew that if she allowed that to consume her, it would be as dangerous as if she had let her the darkness take over. 

The slayer suddenly spoke up, her eyes still closed. "The cheerleader giving you lip again?" 

He was startled out of his reverie, and surprised at how sharp her senses were. "You heard what she said?" 

"Not really. Just the occasional, high-pitched screech." 

Smiling slightly, Angel descended the last few steps, and again sat down on the bench beside her. "I don't mind. She keeps me grounded, forces me to remember that I'm not some superhero who comes down from the sky to save someone's soul. You don't like her?" 

Faith opened her eyes, a brow lifting in surprise at the directness of his question. "Nah, never had much of a problem with Queen C. She's straight-up, what you see is what you get. I like that. And it probably explains why she sucks as an actress." 

"Might be a bit more than that," he replied, the smile twisting into a smirk as he recalled the torturous hours that he had gone through watching Cordelia perform in a bunch of small plays over the past two years. Then a sudden wave of guilt washed over him, at how he insulted his friend. "She's not that bad," he added. But the lie sounded hollow in his own ears. He lamely amended it to "She's getting better." 

Faith was watching him, amusement dancing in her dark eyes. "She's really gotten to you, huh?" 

Angel gave her a rueful look. "Cordelia has that effect on people." 

"I bet." 

She had given him a perfect opportunity to bring up the subject of where she was going to stay but before he could take advantage of it, Faith spoke again, looking away from him as she did. 

"Is Wes around? I'd... I'd like to talk to him." 

Angel cleared his throat. "Uh, he asked for the day off. I, I think he might have gone back to Sunnydale for the weekend. He mentioned that there's a book he wanted to pick up from Giles." 

"Great." Faith exhaled loudly, her shoulders slumping. "Him and B can get together and come up with the best way to kill me." 

"Faith..." 

"No, it's cool. Cordy told me that he still freaks whenever my name is mentioned. I mean, I tortured the guy nearly to death, no way would he be here to welcome me with open arms. Didn't expect him to leave the city though." 

"Faith, he'll come around. Just give him time." 

"Time. Yeah." The slayer sighed again. "Because I've got so much of that now." 

"About that..." He knew that the opening wasn't as suitable as it would have been before. One hundred years of solitude and he was still trying to get used to the nuances of human conversation. "Cordelia and I were talking... how would you like to move in with her?" 

"What?!" Faith stared at him in horror. 

"Only until you get back on your feet," he quickly added. 

She hurriedly stood up, her posture suddenly defensive. "Dude, I land on my feet. If you don't want me in your hair, then I'll get gone. I'm not gonna be some charity case." 

"Faith, I... I never meant..." Angel sighed, and looked up at her. "I'll level with you. Not too long ago, Wesley pointed out how much Cordy had changed. She doesn't date, she doesn't have any friends, she stays home and reads on a Saturday night... and I didn't even notice. She started this thing with Gunn a few weeks ago, and I'm happy for them... but I thought you could... you know, be her friend?" 

Faith looked at him, then threw back her head and laughed. "God... you mean go shopping with her and do makeovers and stuff? That ain't gonna happen, big guy and you know it." 

"Then take her to nightclubs, and... and... just listen to her whenever she feels like talking about things she doesn't feel comfortable saying around Gunn or Wes or me. Please." 

The slayer paused for one moment, her dark eyes growing even more hooded as she considered his request. She finally met his gaze again, and Angel could see that her resistance was weakening. "May Queen will never agree to this." 

"She's inside drawing up a list of what you'll need right now." 

"Either I'll kill her or she'll drive me crazy." 

Angel smirked. "Probably." He paused. "So you'll do it?" 

The slayer shrugged. "Helping Queen C find the fun again. Yeah, I'm up for it." But she was still eyeing him a little suspiciously. "How much are you payin' for her to agree to this?" 

"Um..." The vampire had the grace to look embarrassed. "Five hundred a month." 

"What?!" 

"Look, Faith, it's no big deal, all right? If I've got a rough case, I'll give you a call, you put your life on the line for me, and we'll work it off." 

"So I work for you now?" The question came out flat, but there was a part of her that felt something that felt a little like hope. He was giving her a place to stay, things to do. She liked the thought that he was looking out for her. 

"Just on a case-by-case basis. I'd offer you a full time job, but..." 

"I know." She jumped in before he got all uncomfortable again, trying to find a way to tell her that he didn't want her around. "You've got the brains, the brawn and the beauty already. Don't need me around." 

"No. No, it's not that." He said it so firmly that she couldn't doubt that it was true. "I just don't want to be dumping this on you, and making it your cause. You've got to find your own path to walk." 

Faith smiled a little, remembering what he had tried to tell her twice before. "Out of that darkness, you mean?" 

Angel returned her smile. A smile still looked odd on him; it came out shy and hesitant, like he was still remembering how it was done. But at the same time, it somehow suited him and Faith had to admit that it warmed her. "Aren't you out already?"   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Continued in Part 4...**


	4. Guarana and B Vitamins: Part 4

Guarana and B Vitamins

WARNING: There are some suggestions of a slashy (fem/fem) relationship in this part. I haven't classed G&BVit as a alternative fic on the summary because I'm still not sure where it'll go myself. But if that is something that offends you, then moosey along to the next story. OTOH, there are also strong hints of heterosexuality in this story. If that disgusts you, then I'd moosey along as well. Tolerance, people. Double your pleasure, double your fun.

**Part 4**

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

The punching bag swung around crazily as the slayer's gloved fists repeatedly slammed into it. 

Her face was the picture of concentration. Her feet danced to the movement of the bag. It was automatic for her body to treat the piece of equipment as it would an undead opponent 

But from the stream of curses and muttered words that flowed from her mouth, it was obvious that her mind was elsewhere. 

"Goddamn Queen C..." 

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

That first day, Angel lent them his car for them to drive back to Cordelia's apartment. It was obvious that the vampire was feeling guilty for how he manipulated them into agreeing to live together. The ride back was silent, as was the walk upstairs to Cordelia's apartment. It was only when Cordelia was standing in front of her door, digging her keys out from her bag, when she finally spoke. 

"We'll go out tomorrow and get a copy of the key made. I'm also gonna take you shopping to buy some new clothes." She studied the other girl's outfit with a critical eye. "I don't want the neighbours thinking that I've gone all Anne Heche and picked up a butch girlfriend." 

Faith snorted. "You wish." 

Suddenly, the lights on the balcony started flickering. Cordelia looked up and sighed. "Phantom Dennis! It's all right! She's not evil anymore... I think." 

Faith chose to ignore the last part of that sentence. "Phantom Dennis?" 

"My ghost." When she finally got the door unlocked, Cordelia stepped through only for the door to fly close again. She hurriedly yanked at it before it could slam shut on the slayer's face. "I don't think he likes you. Probably on account of how you assaulted me and kidnapped Wesley the last time you were here." 

"Wait..." The slayer's expression was skeptical. "You have a ghost?" 

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you fight vampires. He came with the apartment, all right? Now get in here and apologise to him." 

"Apologise?" Her brow edged up in disbelief. "To a ghost?" 

"He's not really a ghost, he's more... living-impaired. He's got feelings you know, and if you don't convince him that you've changed..." She paused, her tone turning ominous and slightly threatening. "You won't like what he can do." 

Faith shot the actress a look, before she warily entered. Immediately, the radio started up, the music blaring at top volume. 

_ Oops, I did it again_   
_ I played with your heart_   
_ Got lost in the game_   
_ Oh baby, baby..._

"See?" Cordelia exclaimed. But her tone was a little weaker than before. She went over to turn the stereo off again. "Now say you're sorry." 

Faith sighed, feeling more than a little uncomfortable as she looked around her. Having to apologise was something that she was still getting used to. Having to apologise to something that she couldn't see just made her feel stupid. She finally fixed her gaze on a random spot on the wall. "Look, Dennis, I'm real sorry for breaking and entering, hitting Cordy and kidnapping Wesley the last time I was here. I wasn't thinking straight... it won't happen again." 

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Cordelia with her arms crossed, grinning openly at her discomfort. When Faith glared at her, her expression immediately changed to one of innocence. "What?" 

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

There was the sound of a key in the lock, and Cordelia came through the door. She loudly dropped her keys into a bowl on the counter but didn't say a word as she stared at the slayer sprawled out on the couch in front of the television. "Congratulations," she said finally, her voice flat. "You win for best impersonation of a lump." 

Faith lifted her head to glance over the top of the sofa, an annoyed look already appearing on her face. "What?" 

"You've been here for, what, almost a week? I go out to work, and you're sitting on the couch watching TV. I come home, and you're sitting on the couch watching TV. Aren't you meant to be the Slayer? Slay! Maim! Kill!" She paused for a moment. "Ok, maybe hold back on the kill part..." 

Faith forced herself to count to ten before she could do anything rash. Like leaping at the other girl and strangling her until she turned blue in the face. She slowly got to her feet and turned to face the actress. "You know, you're making maiming and killing sound _real_ attractive right about now." 

Cordelia opened her mouth to retort, but then, her expression suddenly changed. Her hand flew up to her forehead and she stumbled a little, swaying on her feet. "Oh... oh god..." 

Acting on pure reflex, Faith jumped the couch and caught the other girl before she crashed to the floor. She cradled her close as convulsions ran through her body, her head thrown back as agonised moans escaped from her mouth. Her hand found and gripped the slayer's shoulder, her fingers tightening painfully, but Faith forced herself not to pull away. 

"Oh... god..." A last spasm of pain wracked the actress' slender body before she was finally still. 

"Cordelia..." Faith said, shaking her. Then when she didn't get a response, her voice became more urgent, more anxious. "Cordelia!" 

The actress groaned then rubbed at her temples. She finally opened her eyes and looked upwards towards the heavens. "I am _not_ your switchboard operator!" 

Faith followed her gaze to stare curiously at the ceiling. "Huh?" 

At the sound of her voice, Cordelia suddenly seemed to realise that she was still in Faith's arms. She pushed her away before attempting to stand on her own. "I'm vision gal. I get visions from The Powers That Be. Mostly they're for Angel... but that one had your name on it. C'mon, I'll explain on the way." 

The car screeched to a halt at the mouth of a dark alley somewhere on the edge of the city. 

As Cordelia shone the beam of the headlights into the scene before them, Faith could clearly make out the three vamps about to feed on the three girls. She sprang out over the door before the car had even completely come to a stop. "Stay here. Don't get in my way." Faith snapped back at the actress, before she threw herself at the vampire nearest to her. He was easily dispatched; a stake through the heart whilst his head was still dipping down to feed on the girl before him. Faith immediately whirled around to face the other two vamps who had dropped the women that they had been holding. Dimly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw them running away, screaming. 

One of the vamps lunged at her and her mind was jolted back to the fight. She ducked out of the way, then lashed out and connected with a kick to the gut. He doubled over in pain and she brought her knee up to smash him in the face. But his partner tackled her and she rolled with him, only to throw him over her when she had the leverage. Faith jumped to her feet again. 

The vamps circled her warily. Her eyes darted between the both of them, noticing the tensing of every muscle, waiting for one of them to make the first move. The smaller vampire suddenly tried to sweep her legs out from under her but she leapt it, only for the other demon to catch her with a punch in the stomach. She landed heavily, the wind knocked out of her. Faith barely found the strength to scramble out of the way when the vampire tried stomping at her. 

"Hey!" 

It wasn't so much Cordelia's shout that distracted them, but the arrow that buried itself in the vampire's shoulder, mere moments later. Faith was almost as surprised as they were. Almost. She leapt to her feet, moving forward in the same motion to sink her stake in the wounded vamp. The other vampire turned to her again, his teeth bared as he rushed her. She ducked his swinging fist, then turned before he could regain his equilibrium and tripped him. As he fell to the ground, she drove her knee into the small of his back before ramming her stake through his heart. Seconds later, she was kneeling in a pile of dust, sucking in deep breaths through her teeth. 

The rush of adrenaline disappeared all too soon. Faith slowly started getting to her feet, wincing as her muscles screamed from long disuse. She squinted from the bright headlights that still shone on the now empty alley as she began to walk towards the car, and to where Cordelia was waiting. 

"You fight differently," the actress remarked as she came closer. 

Faith grimaced. Her whole body ached and there was a sharp pain in her back and she wasn't in the mood to take shit from an ex-cheerleader. But the sarcastic edge was missing from the other girl's voice, and Cordelia's dark eyes were almost thoughtful as they studied her. "What?" 

"You're not so... 'come on and take me' with the vamps anymore. You're in for a quick kill and then out again. You're fighting more like... Buffy." 

Faith stiffened at the mention of the other slayer. But she looked up and saw Cordelia watching her with dark, penetrating eyes and she knew that the other girl was waiting for her to react. So she merely shrugged, hiding her automatic response. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly in the best shape to tell a vamp to bring it on." The pain stabbed at her back again, and she winced. 

Cordelia noticed and she came up to the slayer, touching her lightly on the shoulder as she examined her. "You're bleeding." 

Faith wiped her hand across her back to see that it came up wet and sticky with blood. "Must've cut myself on some of that broken glass on the ground." She scowled, and shook her head. "I'm rusty. Shoulda never let some two-bit vamp throw me around like that." 

"Yeah, well, at least you're alive." But the actress' gentle tone belied her blunt words. She pressed her hand against the slayer's wound, staunching the flow of blood as she guided her over to the car. From the trunk, she took out a first-aid kit and began to clean out the gash. Faith squirmed as the alcohol stung her. "Sorry," Cordelia apologised, without looking up from her task. 

Faith was taken back by the apology. She had been waiting for an insult and even had a comeback prepared. Instead, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of the gentle hands on her as Cordelia began to wrap a bandage around her wound. "You're good at that." 

Cordelia shrugged. "Angel gets tortured a lot. Mostly hot pokers and iron bars through the chest. I'm always stitching him up." 

"Yeah... um... thanks. For shooting the vamp and everything." 

Another shrug. "I don't get rent money if you die on me." 

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

Sucking on a watermelon-flavoured Jolly Rancher, Faith wandered over to the stereo. Fiddling with the buttons a bit, she finally found her favourite alternative rock station and turned the volume way up. 

Almost immediately, Cordelia stormed out from her bedroom. "What is this crap?!" she demanded. 

"Crap?!" 

"Yeah... it sounds like a cow in labour! A cow in labour having a Caesarean section!" 

Faith paused for a moment, her mind trying to process that image. She shook it off as she gestured to Cordelia's CD collection. "Oh, and your musical tastes are just so wicked classy._ Boyzone_?" 

Suddenly, the radio dial quietly spun on its own behind her, until it settled on a station playing the latest Ricky Martin love ballad. 

Cordelia grinned smugly, folding her arms across her chest. "See. Dennis is with me." 

Faith sighed, outnumbered and defeated. She glanced upwards and muttered under her breath. "Dude. You're whipped." 

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

Faith had resumed her nightly patrols ever since she received the message from TPTB via Cordelia. Almost two weeks of sweeping Los Angeles' streets and she was just starting to get a feel for where the vamps liked to hang out in the big city. However, this was the first time that Angel had asked her to come out with the team, something to do with a client and a demon drug lord who used vampires as his henchmen. 

The slayer kept half an eye on Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia as they all fought the vamps. Gunn was a good guy to have around, he was holding up his end in the fight even though he didn't have her or Angel's supernatural strength. Cordelia was smart enough to keep on the edges of the fight, only ducking in whenever she saw an opportunity to distract one of the vamps for the real fighters or if she was able to get a direct strike at his heart herself. But it was Wesley who surprised her the most; he had picked up some new skills since those days when she used to run him ragged on her workouts as her Watcher. He and Cordy worked well together, one of them would distract the vampire whilst the other one dusted it. 

Then Faith suddenly heard a scream. She looked up to see Cordelia being dragged away by one of the undead losers while Wesley was struggling with another one. Angel and Gunn were inside the compound already, trying to take down the demon godfather. She cursed, and ducked back from the punch that the vamp she was fighting threw at her. Faith caught hold of his hand and quickly twisted his arm around, pinning him close to her as she plunged her stake into his heart. She didn't even wait for the dust to fall before she turned and raced over to where the demon was still trying to overpower Cordelia. Even though he must have been twice her size, the actress was still struggling with him every step of the way. 

As she raised her arm to stab the creep through the back, the vampire dropped hold of Cordy and reached up to block her thrust. She retaliated by punching him in the gut with her other hand and they fought briefly before she finally dusted him. Then Faith spun around, and in one smooth motion, she threw her stake at the last remaining vampire who had pinned Wesley to the ground. A surprised look came over his face before he changed and dissolved to dust. Wesley collasped, sinking gratefully down into the floor. 

But Faith had already turned away. Cordelia was still standing nearby, rubbing at her neck where it had turned red from when the vamp had dug his fingers into her. Their eyes met, and Faith could see the beginnings of gratitude reflected in the other girl's eyes. She came closer to her, touching Cordelia on the chin as she examined her bruised neck. "You ok?" she asked, not bothering to hide the concern in her voice. 

"Mmhmn. Thanks to you." Cordelia paused. "So I guess we're even now." 

The slayer's lips quirked in a small smile. "Didn't know we were keeping score." 

"I'm a Chase, missy." But Cordelia's haughty tone was at odds with the way that her eyes bore into the slayer's darker ones, and she made no move to pull away from where Faith's hand was still lingering on her face. "We always collect our debts." 

"Yeah?" Faith moved a step closer. She could feel the faint stirrings of something familiar beginning in the pit of her stomach, spreading in her blood like warm champagne. Her touch on the other girl's face turned into a caress, and still the actress didn't pull away. "What if..." 

"Cordelia?" They were interrupted by Wesley's plaintive voice. Cordelia jerked her head back as she shot the slayer a startled look. At the same time, Faith yanked her hand away with a low growl, knowing that the spell - over whatever the hell it was that they had just been doing - had been broken. They both turned to look at the ex-Watcher who was still sprawled limp on the ground. "Uh... little help?" 

// _Thump, thump, thump._ // 

It had been a rough day. 

Faith had been out patrolling the whole night, and she had bagged more than her usual average of vampires. When she finally got back home, Cordelia had immediately dragged her to the Hyperion, saying that Angel needed help on some new case. They had spent the day taking out a cult of devil sun worshippers. Now Faith wanted nothing more than to take a long shower and collapse into bed. 

As Cordelia let them into the apartment, Faith headed over to the couch first, sinking down on it as she waited for the feeling to return to her legs. But she immediately jumped to her feet again, reaching down to touch where something wet had begun to seep through her jeans. A large glob of peanut butter came away on her hand. She looked up at Cordelia incredulously. 

The other girl gave her a big, fake, smile. "I was having a sandwich this morning. It must have... slipped out." 

The slayer's surprise had changed completely to disgust now, as she looked around for something to wipe the peanut butter off her. "This is just... gross." 

Cordelia raised an eyebrow. Her tone was heavily laden with sarcasm when she spoke again. "Yeah, because when I first saw you, the first thing I thought was 'germ-free.'" 

"I might have spent my life in shitty motel rooms, but at least I was hygienic about it!" Faith snapped. Pulling another face, she stomped away into the kitchen. 

// _Thump, thump, thump._ // 

"Looking good, girlfriend." 

Cordelia turned around at the sound of the voice, still fishing her keys out from her purse. "Faith," she greeted as the slayer appeared in the hall behind her. The hostility that marked her voice was gone, but there was still an edge there. Partly suspicious, partly taunting... almost playful. 

Faith was still raking her eyes over the outfit that the other girl wore, lingering on the short skirt and knee-high boots before her gaze settled a moment too long on the low-cut Glo-mesh top. "Didn't you and G have a date tonight?" 

Cordelia sighed. Loudly. "We ran into one of his 'crew' and something demonic... and undoubtedly slimy... came up. I wasn't dressed for slimy demon hunting so I came home. Aren't you meant to be on patrol?" 

It was the slayer's turn to sigh. "Patrol was a total bust. Total as in there was absolutely nothing out there. I've never seen the dead act so friggin' dead." 

"That's not good, right?" Cordelia asked, allowing a tiny frown to mar her brow. "It usually means they've skedaddled because some new big bad has come to town." 

Faith nodded. "We should let Deadboy know, see if he can find out what's up." 

"Tomorrow." Another sigh escaped the actress' lips. "I've had enough of work for one day." She was about to turn the doorknob and go inside, when Faith's hand suddenly closed over hers. Cordelia looked up to see that the slayer was only inches away from her, dark eyes catching and holding her gaze. 

"Wait..." Even though she was standing so near, Cordelia suddenly found that she had to strain to hear the other girl's husky voice. "The night's still young. You're looking... wicked sexy. Why don't _we_ go someplace? Have a girl's night out?" 

Cordelia paused as she considered the invitation. Looking this good _had_ taken a lot of work. And Gunn had barely seemed to notice. She might as well not let it go to waste. Cordelia finally shrugged as she replied, trying to make her acceptance sound offhand. "All right. It's not like I've got anything better to do anyway." 

She watched as the slayer's full lips lifted slightly in a grin. "Don't worry, you'll enjoy yourself. Trust me." 

The club had only been a short walk from Cordelia's apartment. 

Faith had chosen it deliberately; it wasn't as hardcore as some of the clubs she had found in LA but she guessed that Cordelia wasn't into that scene anyway. This place reminded her a little of The Bronze, maybe just a little bit darker, and she thought Cordelia would approve. 

It was why she smiled when Cordelia tugged on her arm as they sat down at an empty table with their drinks. "This place is great!" she said, raising her voice a little to be heard above the band and the sound of the crowd. "Why haven't I ever been out here before?" 

"I dunno..." Faith took a long pull at her beer as she studied the other girl. "You get out clubbing much?" 

"Well... there was this place with this donkey demon. And this other place where I met this guy who impregnated me with sperm from his demon master." 

Faith raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. She continued watching the other girl, wondering if she should press her to speak about it. After all that she had heard about what Angel and his crew had gone through, she didn't doubt what Cordelia said was true. But the other girl had just _said_ it, without sounding whiney or mopey or bitter. She didn't want to hurt Cordelia by bringing up old memories. Faith knew that she wasn't good at this, at doing the right thing around people that she cared about. 

Cordelia finally appeared to feel the intensity of her gaze on her. She turned to her, her hand reaching up in worry. "What? Oh god... have I got something on my face?" 

Sometimes she wondered exactly when she had started thinking about the other girl as a friend. The shallow Queen C that she remembered and despised never seemed all that far away. "Actually... I was thinkin'..." Faith let her lips curve in a half-taunting smile, as she gestured out to the dance floor. "...that you won't be able to keep up with me out there, what with you being so out of practice and all." 

Cordelia huffed. "Oh please. I can run you into the ground any day." 

"Yeah?" The slayer's smile widened, as she stood up and took hold of Cordelia's hands, pulling her out of her chair and drawing her towards the dance floor. "Did I just hear a threat?" 

Cordelia's only reply was was an answering smirk, as she followed Faith out to a space amongst the dancing couples. 

God, she had missed this. 

Faith closed her eyes as she lost herself in the music, her hips instinctively capturing the beat of the bass. She could feel the beat pumping through the floor, getting into her blood and coursing through her veins. Just like the slaying, like the sex, this had always been her drug. 

She opened her eyes again and looked up, across at her partner. And her brow rose in surprise. The girl hadn't been lying, she knew how to move. Cordelia was meeting her gaze, a challenging look in her hazel eyes. Faith closed in on her, sharing her space. Their bodies soon fell in synch with each other and with the music, and though they never touched, the sheer physical connection between them was obvious to anyone who looked their way. 

Unfortunately, the song ended all too soon, and the band immediately surged into another. Slow this time, the beat throbbing like a low and sensual hum. Cordelia turned to go back to the tables, when Faith caught hold of her arm. "You're out after only one song, princess? Does that mean I win?" 

"But... it's..." She didn't finish her sentence. Her gesture to the men and women pairing off on the dance floor made it clear what she meant. 

The slayer raised an eyebrow, her stare mocking and daring at the same time. "You know you're with G. I know that you're not my type. Do you really care what they think?" 

Cordelia thought for a moment. "Not anymore," she finally replied. 

Faith smiled in triumph. Her hand was still resting on the other girl's arm and her fingers tightened momentarily as she pulled her close again. Cordelia tensed for the briefest second, before she allowed her hands to fall lightly on the slayer's hips. 

Faith closed her eyes for a moment, her senses filling with the actress' expensive scent. She could feel the warmth radiating off her skin, almost burning her where her arms were still loosely brushing the other girl's body. She opened her eyes to see that Cordelia was looking down between them, apparently embarassed and not wanting to catch anyone looking at them. Either that, or she was checking out her rack. "C?" the slayer murmured, a hint of concern in her voice. 

The slayer met her eyes as the actress' head snapped back up. There wasn't any sign of the embarrassment that she thought she would see. Instead, the expression on Cordelia's face made it look like she had suddenly remembered something. And Faith knew her well enough by now to know that she was working her way towards pissed-off. She waited. 

"I'm not your type? What do you mean I'm not your type?!" 

Faith smirked, but didn't reply. 

The actress wasn't stopping for passengers anyway. "I can't _not_ be your type. People have begged to be my type! I'm everyone's type!" 

"Cordelia?" The slayer finally spoke up, her voice low and exasperated. 

"What?" 

"Shut up." 

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

It had been last Wednesday. Faith came home late from patrol the night before and had slept longer than she had planned. She had an early appointment with her probation officer and was already cutting it fine, as she ate breakfast while she waited for Cordelia to get out of the bathroom. Popping the final corner of toast into her mouth, she made her way down the hall and pushed the bathroom door open. Only to find Cordelia standing naked in front of the mirror. 

"Oh!" But her surprised exclamation quickly turned into an amused and appreciative sigh as she noticed the other girl's body. "My god..." 

"FAITH!!!" Cordelia screamed. One of her hands immediately flew up to cover her breasts, the other arm dropping in a downwards direction, making her look like an incredibly pissed-off Botticellian Venus. "Didn't anyone ever teach you how to knock?!" 

"The water stopped running half an hour ago. I thought you were done." 

"Yeah, well, I had to..." The actress suddenly seemed to become aware of the other girl's almost hungry gaze as it tracked up and down her naked body. "Get out!" she shouted, pushing the slayer out the door whilst managing to keep herself covered. 

Faith laughed as the door closed in her face. "You've got nothin' you wanna hide C. Trust me!" she called out. 

Cordelia had been frosty for a few hours after that incident but then she dealt by seeming to totally erase it from her memory. Faith wasn't able to have the same luck. Even though she had gotten a quick peep show out of it, she realised that she had come off with the worse end of the bargain. Seeing the other girl naked had only kicked her hormones into overdrive. 

It had been way too long since she had sex. The last time was when she was in Buffy's body, being 'made love' to by the Beefstick. And it had totally freaked her out, being in someone else's body, experiencing sex that meant more than just a simple screw, and knowing that it wasn't meant for her. It had been enough to convince her to shy away from the offers that the other inmates made when she had been in prison. She didn't need to get any more confused. 

But noble intentions aside, the simple fact remained that she was feeling horny. Walking in on Cordelia had brought that to the surface, when it had been boiling under her skin for the longest time anyway. It was even starting to affect her slaying; she was lingering in her fights and getting off in the only way she had left. Of course, baiting the vamps would only increase her chances at deadness. 

So she vowed that she would get some sort of action tonight. Some hot guy or girl, a quick screw and a kiss goodbye, that she could forget all about when she went home in the morning. No mess, no fuss, no complications. 

Easy. 

// _Thump, thump, thump_. // 

"Would you feel better if we named the bag Cordelia?" 

The deadpan voice interrupted her thoughts. Faith glanced over to see Angel standing at the bottom of the steps that led from the Hyperion lobby down to the basement-cum-workout room. She quickly pulled her mind away from what she had been thinking about. "Only if we also stick on a wig and a Dolce and Gabbana outfit," she finally replied as she jabbed viciously at the bag again, causing it to swing wildly from the hook that it was hung on. "It's that obvious, huh?" 

"That you're taking out your issues with Cordelia on the bag? Well, ah... only because I could hear you using Cordelia as a swear word from upstairs in the lobby." 

She stopped the movement of the punching bag with both of her hands, and looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly in amazement. Damn vamp was actually enjoying this. "So is _this_ my penance?" she demanded. "Having to live with Queen C?" 

His lips twisted into a smirk. "If you can live with her, you can get through anything. I'm speaking from personal experience." 

"Really? And how long did you last?" 

"A day. Almost two." 

"Great." She pulled off her gloves and began to unwrap the strapping around her hand. "I'm been with her for almost a month. I must be a fucking saint by now." 

The smirk disappeared as Angel entered the gym area to sit down on a nearby workout bench. "Is it that bad?" he asked, in genuine concern. "I mean, we can always..." 

"No, it's all right." Faith surprised herself with how quickly she jumped in before he could offer some other living arrangement. She hurriedly added, "C's cool... but she can get under your skin like no one else." 

The vampire smiled slightly. "I was counting on that," he admitted, in a soft voice. He looked up at her again. "How's everything else going?" 

She shrugged as she sat down next to him. "Five by five. My P.O. says that she's 'happy with my progress.' Slaying's all right, I'm starting to get the feel for it again. And I'm stickin' strictly to the undead this time. Don't have much else going on... dealing with Queen C is almost a full-time job unto itself." She reached up to massage the knotted muscles in her shoulders. "Fuck, even talking about her gets me strung so tight. I really need to get laid." 

Her abrupt change of subject must have stunned him. She didn't think it was possible for vampires to blush, but Angel was doing a good job of proving her wrong. "Wh... what?" he stuttered. 

Faith grinned widely at his discomfort, enjoying the fact that she had turned the tables on him. "Don't worry Soulboy, that wasn't a come on." 

"I didn't... I... I know..." 

The slayer continued on blithely, determined to turn the screws in now that she had got him off-guard. "I'll just go out to some club after patrol, find a cute guy with a nice package, then use him and lose him." 

Angel was beet-red by now as he got to his feet. "You'll be careful?" 

Faith nodded solemnly. "I'm packin' both the smooth and ribbed variety. Even picked up a packet of glow in the dark ones recently." 

"Good. Good." Angel quickly turned to go back up the stairs. His last words floated back down to her, forced out in a half-strangled voice. "Have fun."   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Continued in Part 5...**


	5. Guarana and B Vitamins: Part 5

Guarana and B Vitamins

**Part 4**

"_Slayer_." The vampire drew the word out in a hiss. She was still hunched over the ground, sucking in deep breaths, the sound rattling through her fangs. "We thought you were still behind bars." 

"What?" Faith staggered over to her. After the fight she had just been through, she still had enough strength left to kick the vamp across the face, sending her flying across the street. "Babe, update your sources. I've been out a month already." 

The demon was laughing as she got to her feet, sliding up against the wall and seemingly past caring about the pain. The slayer had just gone through five of her gang, there wasn't any doubt of her own fate. Yet when she spoke again, she still made the words come out in a taunt. "We vampires all know that our greatest foe is in Sunnydale. Why bother with a spare fool slayer who was stupid enough to get arrested in the first place?" 

Faith suddenly saw red. She snarled and launched herself at the vamp, rolling with her briefly before she was finally able to straddle her. Grabbing hold of her hair, she repeatedly slammed the vamp's head into the ground. "Bother with this, bitch." she snapped. "_Fool_ slayer? Is that the best you can do?!" 

The vampire's mocking laughter continue to ring in her ears. Faith growled and hit the vamp harder, until she felt the wet crunch of her skull shattering against the concrete. 

She stopped and let go. The red film seemed to lift from her eyes and she stared at the demon that laid motionless on the ground beneath her, at the blood and gore pooling and mixing with the grime of the street. She rubbed the tips of her fingers together unconsciously. That had felt good. Way too good. 

Untangling her stake where she had tucked in into a belt-loop, she pushed it deep into the vamp's chest, running it all the way through until it scrapped against the gravel. Her thigh muscles flexed and tensed as she braced herself, waiting for the tell-tale pop that meant the vamp had turned to dust. A second later, she was alone again in the alleyway. 

Faith slowly got to her feet, dusting the ashes off her leather pants. "And just for the record, _I_ was the one who turned myself in," she muttered. 

She sighed as she looked at her watch. It was still early, but she wasn't in the mood to play Girl Scout anymore. She wanted to find a club, a real club with a pumping beat and nothing else. Not some yuppie place where rich kids could come and shoot pool and order iced mochas. She'd get hammered, find herself a little action and cap off the night. Yeah. 

Faith sighed again as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. She kept her head down as she began to head away from the warehouse district where she had been fighting the gang of vamps, and into the better lit parts of town. Detouring down another side street, she was walking pass the backs of a couple of bars when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. 

"Fellas, please. Surely we can work this out... without resorting to violence?" 

  


+ + + + +

  


Wesley had his hands up as he backed away from the two men. They were scruffy looking guys, big and flabby, faces contorted in ugly grins. One of them had a knife out as the other flexed huge, ham-like fists. "I'll be happy to play you again. Double or nothing! I'll buy you a drink and we can talk this out. What do you say?" The Brit was speaking quickly, his words almost falling on top of one another. 

"I say that you should shut up, faggot," one of the guys growled. He lunged at him, and Wesley dodged out of the way. But his sudden move only put him closer to the other man, and he wasn't in position to sidestep again as the guy slashed at him with the knife. He felt his skin tearing, the pain searing up from his stomach. Wesley grunted and stumbled back a few steps. 

The men were on him immediately, one of them grabbing hold of his arms and pinning them behind his head. Wes screamed as he felt his skin ripping apart, the hole stretched open even further. "I'll teach you to fuck with us," said the man who had locked him into the hold, his foul breath hot on the ex-Watcher's neck. He nodded at his partner. "Do it!" 

Grinning evilly, the guy advanced towards them, the light catching the steel of the blade in his hand. 

"Hey." A smoky voice suddenly called out from near the doorway. "Is there gonna be a fight?" 

From behind some stacked packing crates, Faith stepped forward, into the dim circle of light provided by the globe that hung above the back door of the pub. It was enough to illuminate her dark prettiness, wrapped in a bad girl outfit of black leather pants and tight, white tank top. The guy with the knife leered at her. "Wanna watch, sweetheart?" 

Faith smiled sweetly at him, her cheeks dimpling. "No. I wanna join in." 

She suddenly jumped up on a crate and used it to propel herself into a kick that landed on the face of the man who was holding her ex-Watcher. He fell backwards, arms flailing and Wesley dropped to the ground, groaning loudly as he clutched at the slash on his stomach. 

The other guy came towards her, the one who held the knife that still dripped with Wes' blood. She blocked his clumsy lunge with the weapon, and grabbed hold of his wrist, twisting hard until he screamed and dropped hold of the knife. Faith pulled him closer and slammed her foot down on the back of his knee, listening for the satisfying crunch of his kneebone shattering. He screamed again, and Faith threw him hard at the ground. 

She turned around and dove for the knife, reaching it just before the first guy that she had hit. He backed off as soon as he saw the wild light in her eyes. "I've killed two men already." Her low, throaty voice was like a velvet caress, intensifying the threat behind her words. "Unless you wanna be the third, I'll take your buddy and get the hell out of here." 

Faith waited until they disappeared from sight before she threw the knife away and ran over to where Wesley was still lying on the ground. She dropped to her knees beside him, reaching out gingerly to lift up his shirt and inspect his injury. "Wes... Wes, you still with me?" 

He turned bleary eyes up at her. "Faith?" 

The cut didn't run too deep. But if she had come by five minutes later... "Yeah." She smiled at him, as she ripped off a piece of the shirt that he was wearing, pressing it hard against the gash to stop the flow of blood. "Not the most welcome sight, I know." 

Wesley looked around, at the now empty street. "You saved me?" 

"Your lucky day." She tried to help him stand. "C'mon, we gotta get you to a hospital..." 

"No..." Coughing a little, he steadied himself on his feet. "I'll be all right... I just need a minute or two... to recover." 

"Woah." Faith caught him again as he stumbled suddenly. "You're in need of some serious medical attention. Don't do the British thing on me, damn it..." 

"Ha." An odd, slightly bitter smile surfaced on his face. "I seemed to have heard similar words from you before. Only I was bound and gagged and being tortured at the time." 

Faith let go of him immediately, her hands dropping away as if he was on fire. Wesley continued to look at her; his eyes were slightly red but his gaze was clear and hard as flint. She lowered her head, looking down at the ground. "I... I had that coming." 

Wesley didn't say anything for long moments. But she could still feel his eyes on her, the weight of his gaze like the world on her shoulders. In all the time that she had been out of jail, she and Wes had never actually talked. A brief word here and there, the odd shouted instruction as she fought alongside Angel and his crew. Too much had went down between them for the tension to be easily worked out, and even Angel and Cordy knew enough not to push. Wesley finally spoke again, one harsh word slipping out. "Yes." 

"No." She lifted her head. A look of resolve had come to her face, matching the determination in her tone. "Dude, you're bleeding. We're in the middle of happy hour for vamps and you're practically sporting a 'bite me' sign right now. I know that I can't just turn up and think that everything is all right again... but can we remember our mutual dislike for each other later?" 

For one more moment, he looked like he was about to refuse her offer of help. But then he suddenly groaned as the pain hit him again, and he touched his fingers to his stomach, grimacing as he looked down at the blood seeping through the material of his shirt. "My apartment... isn't that far away..." he finally managed to grit out. 

Faith nodded, and slipped one arm around him for support, the other hand pressing against the hole in his stomach. Guided by the ex-Watcher's clipped, occasional directions, they made their way slowly to Wesley's apartment. Once inside, Faith left him on the couch as she hunted for his medical supplies. "Where do you keep your bandages?" she called out, opening a drawer in the kitchen. 

"Inside the cabinet in the bathroom. Behind the mirror." 

The slayer soon emerged again, carrying an army-sized first-aid kit. "I'm impressed, Wes," she said lightly, indicating the kit as she knelt down in front of him. "Once a Watcher, always a Watcher." 

He lifted his head sharply, not missing the faint traces of sarcasm in her voice. But Faith was focused on assessing the damage done by the knife, carefully peeling away the material that was sticking to the cut on his stomach. A low whistle escaped from between her teeth as she studied it under the brighter lights of the apartment. "Man, it's worst than I thought. You're gonna need stitches." She looked up. "I know how it's done..." 

Wesley paused for one moment, before he gave a brief nod of acceptance. The slayer rummaged around in the kit before handing him a pain-killer. "Here. This should help." Yet there was a dangerous edge to her smile. "But if you want to scream, feel free." 

He shouldn't trust her. The thought had been in the back of his mind from the moment that he first saw her appear, but it roared now, rushing to the front of his brain. Yet Wes knew that - as things stood - he had no other choice. "Were you planning on trying to make me scream?" he asked quietly, no trace of fear in his expression as he looked straight into her eyes. 

He saw several emotions pass cleanly across her face. Mostly surprise at the directness of his question, and more than a little amusement. But there was something else as well, a tiny bit of grudging respect that he had never seen in her before. It all disappeared quickly with a shrug of her shoulders, and her voice was matter-of-fact when she replied. "I could have left you there. I didn't." 

And it was as simple as that. Wes relaxed against the couch as he felt the slayer begin her task. In a manner that was efficient and assured, she quickly cleaned out the wound, threaded a needle and began to suture the skin closed again. Wesley looked down, surprised at how neat her stitches were. "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked, wonder edging out the distrust in his voice. 

Faith smiled, a bitter smile without any warmth. "Misspent childhood," was all she volunteered before she quickly changed the subject. "What were you doing in a rumble with those assholes anyway?" 

Wesley sighed. "We were having a game of darts in the pub. I won quite a bit of money off them, and they seemed to believe that I was cheating." 

"Were you?" 

"No!" The Brit looked offended. "It was all pure skill." 

Faith looked up at him, giving him a brief grin. "I bet." Tying off the ends, she cut the cord then dumped the equipment back inside the kit. The slayer stood up. "Wes, word of advice. Next time you're planning on scamming a guy, pick someone smaller than you, huh?" 

A faint smile appeared on his lips, as he closed his eyes and leant his head back on the edge of the couch. "I'll keep it in mind." 

Neither of them said anything for long moments. Wesley continued to sit unmoving on the couch, keeping his eyes closed and his gaze off her. Faith began to feel uncomfortable in the long silence. Glancing around at the spartan apartment, she shifted uneasily on her feet. "Look... if you're gonna be ok... I think I'm gonna motor." 

At his nod, she turned away and headed towards the door. The light poured into the darkened room from the hallway, silhouetting the slayer's slim figure. She was reaching out to shut the door, when Wesley's voice stopped her. "Faith?" 

She looked back, over her shoulder. "Yeah?" 

His tone was hesitant, strangely almost apologetic. "I... I know that you're trying to change. And I sincerely thank you for saving my life tonight. But with everything that has happened in the past, I... I still can't find myself trusting you." 

For long moments, Faith didn't move, standing where she had paused in the doorway. A hand reached out, almost unconsciously, to pick idly at the splinters in the door frame. When she finally began to speak, there was a distant note in her voice. "You called the Council as soon as you found out that I killed the Deputy Mayor. You knew that they coulda tried and executed me for slipping up that one time, and hope that my replacement would be a Watcher's puppet who wasn't such a monumental screw-up. And even if the Council didn't kill me, they would've brainwashed me into being their good little Slayer robot. They came for me and put me in chains for fuck's sake, I wasn't going to the Mother Country for tea and scones and a nice afternoon chat." A dark smile began to dance on the slayer's lips. "It's funny, Wes... I can't find myself trusting you much either."   
  
  
  
  
  


**To be continued...**


End file.
